The first stage of a new website to help workers move around the UK’s energy mix, including oil and gas and offshore wind, has been launched by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and RenewableUK.
Supported by the UK and Scottish governments, the Energy Skills Passport website will help workers easily identify which qualifications, such as technical and safety standards, are needed for specific roles in oil and gas and offshore wind, as well as mapping out potential future career pathways.
Research commissioned by OEUK shows that 90% per cent of oil and gas workers have skills which can be applied to renewable energy.
The initial website will be tested by a group of workers before the full version becomes available later this year.
Users can create personal accounts listing their qualifications and select from a limited number of offshore wind roles, such as turbine maintenance technician. The tool will provide details of the training needed to fulfil these specific roles. More roles will be added in the next phase.
The passport tool is one of the measures developed by industry and government to support the UK offshore energy workforce, and plan for expanded homegrown energy production.
It is expected the passport will evolve as the UK’s energy production profile changes, with more information on training courses and jobs added as the sector expands.
RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Offshore Wind Jane Cooper said: “More than 100,000 people will be working in the UK’s offshore wind industry by 2030, mostly in highly skilled roles.
“To grow our world-class industry as fast as possible, we need the valuable experience that oil and gas workers can bring.
“The Energy Skills Passport offers a gateway for people to make this transition by helping them identify which offshore wind roles which would suit them best and setting out in detail the training they will need to secure these new job opportunities.”
Offshore Energies UK’s Director of Supply Chain & People, Katy Heidenreich added: “The UK’s offshore energy workforce has a proud heritage and continues to have high value jobs in oil and gas, which support a broad range of skills from engineering and construction to legal and commercial expertise.
“These skills are essential for the homegrown oil and gas the UK needs for decades to come together with the expansion in energy production we’ll need in future.
“This passport is all about helping people make informed decisions about their jobs and future. As we build a homegrown low carbon future, this passport can help them succeed in projects right across our diverse energy mix.
“We now look forward to working with policymakers to help unlock and enable the business investment we need for a new generation of good, high-value jobs and opportunities for firms and their people.”
Steve Nicol, Executive President of Operations at Wood and OEUK Supply Chain Champion said: “By removing duplication of training standards and identifying which qualifications are required for specific roles, it will not only drive cost reductions, but it will ensure consistency across health and safety practices.”
